Augusta Public School Board pursues ‘pool testing’ for reducing pandemic requirements
The Department of Education protocol calls for 30% of a building's people to be tested for COVID-19 on a regular basis as a way to ease physical distancing requirements.
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AUGUSTA — In order to have all students in the Augusta Public School System return for in-person classes five days a week this fall, school officials will send out forms of consent to families to allow their children to participate in pool COVID-19 testing.
According to the Maine Department of Education, if a combined 30% of students, faculty and staff in a school building give consent to be tested, social distancing and physical distancing requirements do not have to be followed. That means desks and students can be closer than the allotted 3 feet for children and 6 feet for adults; however, masks still have to be worn and students still have to be 6 feet apart while eating lunch.